Save the Last Dance for Me [Keela/Vin] 9

[Shava]

Keela was nervous, but she couldn't quite put her finger on why. She'd gone with Vin to the Halloween dance the year before and everything had been great. But, her sub-conscious reminded her, they hadn't been officially together then, and they'd technically gone as friends. Now though, her relationship with him was relatively common knowledge. It had spread like wildfire after someone had seen he and Cern talking for what was probably the first time ever in the courtyard last week. Her teammates had given her some light prodding over dating the enemy captain, but things had gone relatively smoothly. She did, however, catch the occasional disgruntled glance out of the corner of her eye. How many hearts, Keela wondered, had she broken by taking Vincent Silver-Moon off the market? Thankfully, the rest of the girls in her dorm were equally absorbed in their own plans for the night ahead.

Keela eyed herself in the mirror critically. She'd put more effort in this time, and the look she'd chosen was far different than the angel costume she'd gone with the previous year. Still, she liked the over all effect, and she smiled as she turned to make sure the tie around her neck was secure. While Vin might not mind her going topless in private, she was pretty sure it would bother them both if her dress fell to pieces tonight. She'd debated over the decision to put her hair up this time, since it wasn't a common thing for her, but then, she'd recently discovered all the wonderful things that could happen with just a little bit of exposed skin the right places. She resisted the urge to blush. As much as she hated to (and at this point had refused to) admit it, Vin had been right on the money. What had happened between them in the room of requirement had opened up an entirely new perspective in her mind. That wasn't to say she'd chosen something terribly racy, she would have to send the pictures to her mum after all!

The mask came next, and Keela studied the effect. He'd know her, she was sure, but the lace covered just enough to give her face a mysterious quality that she found appealing. She settled it over her eyes, and then secured it comfortably, hiding the knot behind her hair. She could have used magic to keep it up, she knew, but securing charms were dang tricky to undo at the end of the night, and this way all she had to do was tug the right ribbon. She very rarely wore make up, but for the sake of completing the look, she'd caved tonight. Slipping on the heels she promised herself she'd never wear again after tonight. She picked up the only bottle of perfume she owned from the bedside table, eyed it, then put it down again. After a moment, she sighed, sprtized it lightly over her wrists and at her throat before giving it a disgruntled look and setting it on the table again.

The scent had been a gift from her mother, something she made herself that smelled of a mixture of vanilla and roses. She'd had the same bottle since her mother had first given it to her, since she only wore it once every blue moon. She tried not to remember that the last time had been for the Halloween dance last year. Giving herself one last once over in the mirror, she turned for the door, trying not to draw attention. Thanks to the cushioning charm on her shoes, she didn't have to step too carefully as she made her way down the stairs, across the commonroom and out into the hallway. They'd agreed to meet close to where they'd found each other the previous year. Only, this time Keela had insisted they find a space that wasn't home to the portrait of any nosy former alumni. After the first couple of minutes with nothing to distract her, Keela was beginning to regret that decision. If slightly annoying, the portrait had at least served to distract her. Instead, she found herself leaning slightly against the stone, which felt cold on her mostly bare back, absently thinking she should have brought her wand.

At the last minute she'd decided to leave it in her end table drawer. She was positive Vin would have his, and he wouldn't let anything happen to her, at least, not by someone else's hands. The thought brought a smile that closely resembled a smirk, a rarity for the normally bubbly Hufflepuff.

[Shava]

After waiting so long, Vin was not letting anything get in the way of his plans for the evening. She had said her colors and he had dressed to come at least close to matching, but this time he wanted to send a subtle message as well. This was a formal ball, clearly, and while dress robes were expected, the ones he had chosen were the kind made for much more formal occasions. Such as, just to point out an example, weddings. At the same time he could not help but feel that a mask he could tease her with would be the most fun and make others jump to conclusions, so he had chosen something of very fine quality, but sarcastic approach. In that he felt well suited!

As he redid the tie for the second time, he finally decided he was about ready and fastened the tie-tack and added the watch to the vest after he buttoned it up. Her special surprise went into the inner pocket of his suit as he wondered if she had done much with her hair this evening or if he would have the chance to give her something special. With a grin he picked up the mask and put it on before reaching for the flowers he had arranged through his father who knew about impressive flowers. There were orchids centered around a permanent pin for her to both remember the night by as well as to keep the flowers longer. The pin actually managed to make the flowers stay fresh about a week longer then they usually lasted, a simply wonderful piece of work.

For such a rare day, he put a dab of his Egyptian body oil on wrists and behind the ears. He didn't do it very often, but this was different!

Ready to go, Vincent stepped into the common room and ignored the few loungers there (most were going to the ball, but some were avoiding it all together) heading up the stairs to the dungeons and then in the direction of the Hufflepuff dorm. He passed a few hangers from different houses waiting there and headed for the spot they had agreed on, his smile growing much larger when he saw the outfit the figure leaning against the wall there had on! 'I think she likes surprising me,' Vin thought before he spoke. "Well well! That is not an outfit I would have expected! Shoulders cold I suspect?" Vincent pulled out his wand and did a quick warming charm on her outfit to help counter that, sure she would not mind. Shifting it in his hands he held out the corsage for her to see with the real flowers around the beaded one.

Once she approved of them he helped slip them on her wrist, letting his fingers stray across her arm as he did so, looking in her eyes. "You look beautiful, Mova, maybe the word should be 'enchanting' instead. Would you object if I gave you something I've been wanting to for awhile?" He tapped his inside pocket and waited for her response, not having removed his hand from holding her arm lightly.

[Shava]

Keela noticed Vin as soon as he was within sight. She stood up a bit straighter, wondering if she was developing some sort of homing device that sensed only him. The thought amused her, and she couldn't help thinking that something like that might come in handy in a pinch some day. She smiled, knowing by his reaction that she'd succeeded in surprising him. When he mentioned her shoulders, she took a step away from the stone wall. "Just a little", she answered amicably, "I don't think most formalwear is made for comfort." Especially if its made for women, she added silently. Appreciating his thoughtfulness, she smiled softly, and raised to her toes to kiss his cheek, grateful to her grandmother for teaching her glamours that kept make up from coming off unless it was supposed to. When she settled back onto her feet, she grinned at him slyly. "I hope its a nice sort of unexpected?" She motioned to the dress. "You can thank mum when you see her, I'd have never gotten something like this into the trunk at all if she hadn't distracted dad so I could pack it." She shook her head, "Cern comes by his protectiveness honestly, though you guys seem to have figured that out for the most part, so maybe you'll be able to charm dad too." She hoped so, otherwise he'd have his work cut out for him.

Keela accepted the corsage, eyes slightly wide. Several of the girls in her dorm had complained about her flower after the dance last year, largely because the majority of them didn't have any to show. She had tried not to be too smug about it, but she had appreciated even then his tendancy toward being a gentleman. Other than her brother, it was a trait she didn't see often. Her mum had joked that it was a dying art as time went on and that she'd gotten lucky. Keela knew that her father had passed his beliefs on social graces to Cern, as he would their younger brother when the time came. Obviously, someone at some point had given the same lessons to Vin. She wondered if it was his father she had to thank or someone else? "Its beautiful", she exclaimed, though her voice was still soft. "Did you make this?" She realized she hadn't noticed his atire yet. The red of his hair was a striking contrast against his his extremely formal robes. Keela was glad she'd opted for a dressier look, anything less would have contrasted badly. She didn't bother to conceal either or scrutiny or her admiration. "Wow..." she admitted softly, surprised by the way her heart sped up. Smiling, she couldn't resist teasing him. [Color=Gold"You look like you just stepped out of Witch Weekly"[/Color, her eyes sparkled. "But, I'm definitely not complaining." Taking note of the mask, she shook her head at him. "A wolf, how..fitting." She grinned wickedly at him.

Keela blushed, enjoying the compliment and his attention. Enchanting, no one had ever called her that before, but then, no one had ever done most of the things that made Vin special to her. Feeling playful despite her physical reaction to him, she grinned. "No enchantments, I promise..." Then she reconsidered. "Well, except for the ones to keep my make up from rubbing off on you, and the cushioning charm on my shoes, and..." She paused, realizing that in her slight case of nerves, she was rambling. "You know what? Never mind." Curiosity warred even as nervousness peaked over his question. "Give me something?" She eyed his pocket, and then met his eyes warily, "sure."

[Shava]

Long aware that you never knew what could happen, Vincent made a point out of never going anywhere without his wand. The number of occasions at school alone that he had needed it assured him in the real world it would be even more necessary so he would never have thought Keela would leave hers behind. If he had he would have been struck on how successful he really had been with her, that she was depending on him to keep her safe or do what she needed done magic wise. Which of course he would do to the extreme; she was, as far as he was concerned, his in a very real sense though he kept himself from counting his chickens. That was just intelligence on his part.

Getting a kiss for being thoughtful was a good omen that the evening would be memorable! "Well no, it's not. But what kind of guy would I be if I didn't care for my girlfriend being comfortable? Especially because I get to see her shoulders all evening this way." He winked at her look and listened to her explanation about sneaking the dress out. Wow, her father was sounding a bit more determined then Vincent would have thought! "But he let you buy it in the first place? Seems he wasn't thinking too far ahead on that part." Her reaction to the flowers was as good as last time, though considerably warmer now that they were dating!

"Oh no, no green thumbs here! Dad told me long ago that flowers were fragile, beautiful, and that women would always treasure them for that natural grace. I myself just think they smell good." He laughed and then pointed at the beaded one. "That one however has a nice little charm in it to keep them fresh a lot longer. To me that seemed worth learning how to make!" Being checked out by a young woman who was clearly appreciating what she saw made his night already, of course, though he tried not to swell up too visibly; Keela was the type to take a poke at it just because.

A game he would have had to play back against as well.

"Yes, a wolf. Known for traveling as a family, being great hunters, mating for life, and having great affection for those they love and accept. I have not told you this, but yours truly actually happens to have one for a patronus." Hopefully she noticed his stressing the mate part. If she had hers then she understood you didn't get to pick them, they reflected who you were. His had actually made a Ministry file because of it's size which he had some real pride about; it was a rare creature and so far as he had heard, not been anyone else's on record. She blushed as he complimented her and teased him right back which had his eyes laughing with her. Tucking his wand under his arm as he reached into his coat pocket he brought out a piece wrapped in green Christmas tissue paper.

"I saw one of these once and this summer found a man who still makes something similar to it. It's an old muggle style of fashion, but I added a charm to it to make it easier for you to display when you want." Unwrapping it, it was revealed as a broach with an odd fastener on the back. It was a mix of midnight blue and black and looked hand crafted. "If you do your hair in a bun it holds it in place for you or you can wear it on your dress as a broach or cloak pin too. But here is why it's special..." Taking his wand again he stepped beside her so his arm encircled her waist, holding the broach with his other so she could see it best right side up. Tapping it with his wand, the broach lightly colored gold each letter of Keela's name one at a time, fading into each new letter to show the pattern had been made entirely for her.

"I try to only give presents worthy of the person and how I see them," he said softer, brushing her cheek with the back of his now free hand as she took it from him. "Do you want me to do your hair for you so you can wear it or would you rather keep it for another time? I promise, Char and Ash have both bribed me before to do buns for them rather then do it themselves, I don't pull hair," he said with a chuckle.

[Shava]

Keela smiled, the statement was so typically Vin. Give a little get a little as he was prone to demonstrating effortlessly. It was a stereotypical snake trait, but Keela didn't mind. All relationships were prone to more than a little give and take. It was part of it. "So, you had ulterior motives then? Maybe I should take that kiss back..." Her tone was bright, her smile teasing, amazing what a difference a few dates and a night together could make to one's confidence. Not that Keela hadn't been guilty of being a flirt before she'd met Vincent, she just enjoyed it more with him. The wink told her he'd caught on to her mood and was on the same page. The thought of their being on the same brainwave both amused and startled her. Keela wondered how long it would take before they were completely comfortable with one another, and whether things would get boring when that happened. Glancing at him again out of the corner of her, she reconsidered. Bored with Vincent Silver-Moon...? Right, and then he and her brother could go skipping off together into the sunset. She bit her cheek to curb the urge to laugh at that mental image. She smiled mischeivously at him. "Mom bought it", she corrected, "dad doesn't have much patience for shopping when it comes to clothes for me and my sister. He leaves that to mom."

She smiled softly, thoughtfully. "Smart man, your dad", she murmured. At some point, maybe after Christmas, she wanted to go and meet with him, maybe try to talk to him about some of her less embarrassing questions about Vin. She was surprisingly more comfortable with this idea than with cornering Ashlyn. She thought about the last time she'd seen his sister, dressed in a corset and tutu, strutting through the halls. Well, maybe not so surprising after all. She raised the flowers to her face and inhaled gently. "I think you're both right", she assured him. She eyed the beaded flower more closely. "It is a clever idea, maybe you should have been a Ravenclaw", she teased him. Taking note of the glint in his eye that was there almost constantly, she appeared to reconsider the idea. "Nevermind, I just can't picture you spending all of your time in a library." Still, she glanced at the flower again and smiled. "I have an idea for it later if it'll come off without getting damaged." She could add it to one of the bracelets she already had and wear it that way. "Thank you, love. It's perfect."

As she listened, Keela couldn't help thinking it was very like him to do something with so much symbolic meaning. It made her wonder if he was hinting at anything with the rest of his outfit as well. She eyed him covertly, but other than looking like he had a wedding to attend after the dance, she couldn't see anything unusual about his outfit. "Your patronus? Really?" She'd only been able to start casting a corporeal one a few months ago, after she'd started practicing at home with her parents. She noticed the way he stressed certain traits, and she had to admit that it jarred with her image of him. Still, wolves were natural predators, which might have explained some of his more self-serving traits. The protectiveness came through most clearly when he was talking about his siblings. The mating for life part...well, she was decidedly ignoring that one for now. "That's...impressive." It was all she could think to verbalize at the moment. Still processing, she shifted the topic slightly. "Mine is an Arabian mare. I originally thought it was just a generic horse, but dad corrected me when he saw the markings on its face." She shrugged, grinning at him. "They're free spirited, stubborn, and...maybe a bit tempermental." She laughed, "but again, this is according to dad."

When he unwrapped the gift, she noticed the pattern first, and began trying to discipher it immediately. After she'd given up, it occured to her that he'd have had to consider the idea in advance, way in advance. Unless, of course, he'd had his mother or someone mail it to him more recently. "How...how long do they take to make?" The question came softly, loaded, though she doubted he'd realize it. On the one hand, he may have just been the type of person to cover all of his bases, on the other, it meant he'd assumed things would come together, and the idea of that sort of confidence where she was concerned irked her. Still, they had spent the entire summer writing letters, and she supposed that under those circumstances, she was being a bit unfair. His question distracted her line of thought, and she focused on his face again. The thought of him adding or even knowing any glamour charms surprised her, but then, he did have sisters. If she'd had her wand, Keela could have done it herself, but as she didn't, she'd have to let him do it. As the broach began to light up individual aspects, her eyes widened, and she smiled softly, touched. All previous concerns at least temporarily forgotten.

"Wow, Vin, that's..." Probably one of the most thoughtful gifts she'd ever been given, that's what it was. "Incredible." Thankful for the tall heels on her shoes for perhaps the first time that night, she turned herself into him and raised her face to his, kissing him with more tenderness than passion this time. When she pulled back slightly, she added: "Is this my Christmas present?" She waited a beat for his answer. "I don't have yours finished yet, you'll have to wait until winter hols for them." She laughed when he mentioned his sisters, "I bet they didn't have to work terribly hard for it." Her gaze melted into a serious, almost shy expression after a moment. "I'd love to wear it, but actually you will have to do it. I don't have my wand." It was an admission she hadn't planned on making, and wouldn't have if something like this hadn't come up.

[Shava]

Vincent slid his hands over the same shoulders, enjoying the feel of her skin and wondering if she could feel the heat in his hands as desirable on her exposed flesh. "Nah, I think you liked it as much as I did..." he smirked for a moment thinking about that, but his ego did feel a bit emboldened. "So what, he and Cern go by themselves? Easy enough. Mom always takes the whole brood for it and drags us into the women's underwear section too. It's embarrassing when you're younger, but I think even Seth is getting immune to it now." She probably hadn't met Seth yet, but he was around somewhere; he'd told her all his siblings names at one point or another. Ash was the only one people had to be careful about really.

He did have to agree with her about his father. "Dad is very clever and sharp. I bet mom was a tough one to catch, but he found a way." 'And they have not slowed down since...' he thought as he remembered all the times he had been chased from the house. Really, his parents were way too teenagery in that area! Didn't it wear down after a time? "Well I can't claim the idea and I didn't make the beads themselves, just charmed them after. Thankfully dad put me onto the idea and then I just had to go find it. It's amazing how many minor things are tucked away in the Library. It's good practice since I do well with the inanimate." Although his real skill was in hexes and curses, he just enjoyed transfiguring things and making them serve a purpose.

"Oh good! It's not much, mind, just to keep the flowers better so you can enjoy them longer, but I'm glad you like it." Flowers even worked with his mother, though not as well; his father had been proven right yet again. Nodding as she spoke about his patronus as impressive he smiled slightly; he knew his magic was very good for his year, but it was nice to hear it from her as well. "Mom has been working with us every summer on expanding our skills, but she does have a Ministry license for it, self-teaching that is. I managed it this last summer and she had me register it at the Ministry." Not everyone had to, but his had been so big it was one for their records, being such a rare type. Her revelations about the markings made his smile grow all the larger. Sliding his arms around her waist he pulled her closer to him before he said "You know, Arabians are considered the most treasured horses to have in the world, the best horses ever."

Secretly he agreed with her father, but he'd rather push the more romantic angle first.

Not one to miss a chance to tout his own horn he said "Mine is apparently a type of wolf that hasn't been seen in the last century, an English Wolf. They say it's one of the biggest types of wolves to have ever lived." But they it came time for the present and it was a beauty of a reaction; she seemed very surprised which made him more satisfied then ever. "Well I found him at the beginning of the summer and he sent it to me before the end of the summer. Doing it by hand takes longer you understand, lots of careful work." And he had been looking for someone since halfway through last year when he first got the idea, but she didn't need to know that really. He was just glad it had worked out! At least it got his girlfriend impressed and caring as she kissed him tenderly as if he was her own treasure. His face might have been a touch flushed as she pulled away! "I wanted it to be personal and having your own pattern seemed to me to be a great idea for you..."

The evening was off to a good start if this was her reaction so far. "Well yes, in a way, but it's more a thank you for saying you'd give me a chance, Keela," he said brushing his hand across her cheek softly; she was his treasure after all! "I can't tell you how awesome it is to see you think I'm worth your time!" It didn't reflect on his own ego of course, but the reflection of that in her eyes made him feel very deeply satisfied. "You're Christmas present is going to be more toned down, mind you, because my parents and yours will probably see it. No sense in letting them have a heads up right? This is more about us." She asked him to do it for her, but seemed to think he needed his wand for it; his smile grew a bit longer and more broad.

Concern in his eyes with a slight down tilt to his eyebrows of disapproval still was there. "Keela, I admit I'm touched that you trust me to keep you safe and all that, but you should always keep your wand on you. It's not just about safety, but it's so useful for everything... However, in this case I don't think so." He slipped it back up his sleeve and stepped behind her, running his fingers into her hair before he spoke softly in her ear "Running my hands through your hair seems more....personal." He put her hair into a bun making a point of making sure she felt his gentle touch and the fact he cared for her hair as he did so. When he finished the broach sat in the middle of it, holding it all together well and he kissed the back exposed neck under it. "There, now it's as elegant as you are, my lovely Moza..."

[Shava]

Keela smiled, enjoying his touch, but couldn't resist picking at him. "What makes you so sure, love?" He had a tendancy of being easy to bait over certain topics, his prowess being one of them. He seemed surprised by the idea of her family being split over shopping, and it amused her to picture him picking out clothes with his mum. The idea of a younger version standing in the women's underwear section made her laugh. "I normally go for those sorts of things with mum or by myself", she informed him. "Kind of a girl's day sort of thing." She and her mother had an understanding, Keela could dress as she pleased so long as she carried herself with dignity and class. Keela felt the weight of her heritage just as keenly as her brother, and after talking to Vin on the subject, perhaps even more so. "I can't picture it", she shook her head even as she tried. "You standing in the middle of a bunch of women's lingerie." At least, not on racks. She gave up trying, though she filed the information away for later.

Keela nodded thoughtfully. Given what little she knew of Vin's mum, that was probably true. "Have you ever asked him about it?" she wanted to know "How he did it I mean?" She thought about her own parents. The circumstances might have been different, but she empathized completely with his discomfort regarding the level of intimacy in his parents' relationship. They'd spent the early part of their marriage under duress in a war, running from familial obligations to what they both considered the wrong side. This was how Keela justified the fact that they'd spent her entire life making up for lost time as they called it. She'd heard about his skills with charming inanimate objects, it had in fact given her several ideas regarding his Christmas present. "So I've heard", she acknowledged. "Is there a name for your creations? I mean, do other people do that too?" It struck her as a rather odd hobby, but then, who was she who willingly went spiralling toward the ground just to see who was brave enough to get the closest to judge?

Modesty wasn't something she was accustomed to from him. While he could definitely back up his arrogance most of the time, he rarely diverted credit if it was being offered to him. She'd never seen anything like it, no matter what he said, and that impressed her. So he'd been home schooled, that made sense. She had wondered how anyone could have survived without knowledge of basic muggle activities for this long, now she knew. "Cern and I do things the muggle way at home for the most part." She shrugged, "mum always said that way if for some reason we couldn't use our magic, we'd still be okay." Her parents also believed it was important that no witch or wizard no matter how powerful be forced to rely soley on their magical abilites, but she left that out. She didn't want to risk insulting his upbringing, to each their own. "I practiced it in the room of requirement actually, that's where mum learned." Despite the personal nature of the question, she felt compelled to ask: "What memory do you use?" Keela smiled, touched by the comment. "They're also some of the hardest to break in", she pointed out, still smiling, "if you don't know what you're doing."

Keela gazed at him thoughtfully. Patroni did normally reflect the character of each caster individually, and she supposed a wolf made since for Vincent Silver-Moon. "The biggest ever?" she asked, somewhat skeptically. That suited his nature too, needing to be the best. "What makes those wolves different from others? Just their size?" Okay, that summer made sense. They'd written what Cern had deemed 'way too many' letters, and it wasn't out of character for him to plan ahead in the least The fact that his gift was made the muggle way meant something too. "It's perfect", she assured him. "You've got great taste." She ran her fingers over the pin gently, as the glow on the letters faded. Knowing the object was very likely one of a kind made her feel extremely special, and she gave in to the warm feelings of being cherished that overtook her senses and warmed her chilled skin. "It was", she said softly, sounding slightly awed. "I'll treasure it, love. I promise." There was only so much a girl could be expected to do in keeping a level head when it came to a guy she loved, and Keela's internal defenses were crumbling quickly as she felt herself becoming more and more attached to him, wanting to please him in every sense of the word.

Her eyes widened, one of the most thoughtful gifts she'd ever been given, and it was just a thank you present.She leaned into his touch, and raised her lips to his one more time. "You're welcome", she murmured, sincere but sounding slightly dazed. How could anyone, anyone have resisted him? Worth her time? That didn't sound like him. Vin was more the type to pick and choose who was worth his time, not the other way around. "You were always worth my time", she assured him. "I just wasn't sure you were worth the risk of getting..." Betrayed, heart-broken, used... "attached." Keela laughed softly, "probably wise", she agreed, though she was more concerned with her brother's reaction than that of her parents. "I haven't quite finished yours yet, but they should be ready by the time we leave for Christmas." His smile confused her, but then she realized he wasn't taking out his wand as he moved behind her.

The disapproval in his gaze made her feel very much like a child who'd been caught out of bed. She shrugged, trying to appear flippant. "I can't exactly stash it somewhere comfortable", she pointed out. "And its harder to dance with it strapped to my thigh." Her tone sounded defensive, and she softened it. "We're in the Great Hall, not the Forbidden Forrest", she pointed out. "I think I'm safe." Though she expected his touch, the sensation of it still surprised her. The feel of his fingers running through her hair was one she particularly enjoyed. It reminded her of other things she enjoyed...a lot. Remembering some of those things, she flushed. "I imagine so", she murmured softly. He seemed adept as he piled her hair up, and it made her wonder how often he did it for his sisters. It was endearing really, the thought of his helping them. He kissed her neck and she smiled, cold shoulders would have been totally worth the effort if he'd do that a few more times. "I actually think you've got me there", she confessed. "You look extremely handsome love." She gazed up into his eyes and smiled. "Shall we?"

[Shava]

"Oh I can do much worse then that. Remember, my mother doesn't hold back like most people do. When she thought I was old enough, she wanted to be sure I was successful in attracting girls so she took me into one of those store and took me underwear shopping cause she wanted to make sure I was displayed properly!" He shook his head at the memory, definitely still a bit weirded out by it. "Dad managed to help me get rid of a lot of it overtime, but it was much more embarrassing then the ladies underwear section, let me tell you." While he had heard the story, it still sounded incredible to him enough he didn't want to say. His parents relationship according to them had started intensely and continued that way.

The ring exchange reminded him of something he had been waiting over time for. In the locket around his neck under his shirt was the Silver family ring, his in particular. He carried it there for luck, but if things kept up the way they were going, he was sure to offer it to her soon enough. Then his little sister would have to be nicer to her actually ('HA Yeah right...' his mind chuckled), but mostly because he wanted to give her a promise ring and that fit better in his mind then most would. What better promise then giving her his family in a nutshell? "Beyond pure enchanting, I've not heard one. And Octo is the only one I've managed long term so far, he's a tricky one. I've gotten him up to a couple of weeks so far without renewals." Her own upbringing sounded much harder then his in many ways, but hey, it took all types in the world. "Don't get me wrong, the crowd I hang out with at conventions are mostly all muggles, but that's not really living with them but passing yourself off as one. Not the same thing, I realize."

No one muggle or wizard would consider the Steampunk movement normal in any sense of the word.

She asked him a pretty personal memory and he pulled her close before he said it softly. "Well I did say any question.... It's from when I was about five or so and Ash was sitting up for the first time in my lap and I was holding her so she could grab at a toy Char was holding out for her. It's the first time I ever felt so big brother like and it was amazing." He looked into her eyes for a moment before his smile grew a bit wider. "I have a feeling it's about to change though cause I can think of something even more happy right now." 'Yeah, you heard me write, you might be my patronus soon enough,' he thought to himself, knowing her acceptance of his ring would certainly fit the 'happy memory category.' "True. But worth the struggle I would say, though it takes a long time to convince the Arabian you just want to be their partner."

"Eighth largest on Ministry record," he said misunderstanding for a moment what she meant. It then clicked in his mind and he added "Oh you meant...Well yeah, Arctic wolves are bigger then some humans and these were close in size. They don't know much about them except it took centuries before the English managed to kill them all. They went after humans as much as any other creature so they kind of had to wage a war with them." He knew for a fact in his own mind they were proud, had their own kind of honor, and were fiercely protective over their cubs and mates, but there was no evidence of that, it just felt right. He knew no other wolf could manage such a creature and would have to bow down to them. Softly he said "Would you like to see it?"

This time he purposefully misunderstood, the twinkle in his eyes clear. "Well you would know, you licked me more then once..." and held her wrists so she couldn't elbow him as he chuckled for a moment. "Seriously though, thank you. I did my best to pick out something I thought you would both enjoy and could use. I'm really pleased to know you like it!" After she kissed him, her words showed her inward thoughts louder then she might have thought and he chose to address those directly. "I know and I'm sorry about that. Ask your brother; there are a few going around spreading stories about me too that have no truth behind them." Of course her brother had heard that from Vincent, but it was true. he'd given him a few names to remember as the deceivers. Later he would be truly grateful he had, but at the time it had seemed natural to give proof.

Ooo, she was making his herself? That was a very positive omen indeed and one in which he could be quite cheered about! However her wand comments made him give her a look; was she being intentionally obtuse? No. She had not asked around much then in her dorm about places to hide it in a dress as he had heard enough to know those special places. He would not insult her though be bringing it up now. The smell of her and her hair both were enticing and the flush at his words bespoke promise of later that night maybe he would get a reward for now, but for now the kiss was enough. "Only minorly, I promise you." Vincent let his hand glide along under her arm to her wrist, raising it enough to show the corsage. "You can't gild a flower, you can only make sure to do your best to make it last longer..."

Slipping his arm in hers he said with a very cheerful smile "Yes, I think we should. I have the most beautiful woman in the school to show off on my arm, like an eagle on her first flight..."

[Shava]

Keelea's eyes widened, and her expression crossed evenly between shock and amusement. "She.." Keela seemed at a loss. "Tell me you're not serious!" Even as she said it she knew that in all likelihood he was completely serious. What a different world they had grown up in. While her mum was more understanding about wanting to make an impression than her dad, Keela couldn't fathom a day when her mum would willingly go with her anywhere near a place like that. She couldn't help it, she laughed at the disgusted expression on his face. "How old were you exactly?" Her tone rang with barely contained mirth as she bit her tongue to help regain control of her expression. "I'll bet it was", her tone had turned sympathetic. "Poor Vin", she teased, "having a mum who wanted you to be a sex god." Actually, when put that way, it did sound a little creepy in Keela's opinion.

She looked thoughtful as she considered what she knew of his hobby. She'd never seen Octo, but she'd heard other students discussing him. "So, are they actually alive or just like...semi-sentient, like the room of requirement?" She was genuinely curious, the idea of him being interested in a movement so muggle related jarred with his mostly magical upbringing. She wondered what his parents thought of the whole thing, but then, considering what he told her, doubted they cared too much. Keela shrugged, "it isn't really as hard as it sounds, I promise." It hadn't been. Since they'd grown up around muggles, they were fairly practiced at both lifestyles. Keela was just as comfortable at a muggle fair as she was at a pureblood society charity event, the beauty of her vastly multi-cultural upbringing. "I prefer magic obviously, because it makes things easier, but there's a certain art to doing things the muggle way, like cooking for example. It adds a human touch that you can't get any other way." She'd cooked with a wand before, but actually preferred the muggle methods, feeling like she had more control over the process and therefore the end result.

She was somewhat surprised that he was willing to answer her question, less so when he pulled her into him. Her expression softened, and she smiled warmly up into his eyes. "That's very sweet", she informed him, leaning up to press a kiss to the corner of his mouth. When she pulled away, she was grinning at him. "You know, you're so full of surprises." When he spoke of the memory changing, there was little doubt in her mind what he meant, and she flushed, eyes wide and sparkling with conflicted emotions. Struggling for a casual tone, she managed softly. "Really, what's that?" Keela was torn between the urge to grin cheekily at his Arabian comment and the urge to stick her tongue out at him. "That's because Arabians are known for being intelligent, and animals in general are pretty good judges of character", there, that was sufficiently cheeky. Still, she laid her head on his chest and sighed, content. She was beginning to think that even if they never made it to the great hall, her night would have been made, just because she got to spend time with him. Startled by the direction of her thoughts, her expression turned pensive, but her face was thankfully turned away from him.

She laughed when he misunderstood her question, and was about to correct him when he realized what she meant. Sort of the way some wizards and witches felt about warewolves, she thought sadly. Still, she understood the necessity. "I've never met anyone who had an extinct creature for a patronus before", she observed mildly. "It's actually kind of cool when you think about it." Though if she'd been in his shoes, having a giant wolf issue out of her wand would have startled her at first. She glanced at him, wondering again if he was secretly a legillimens and just hadn't told her. "Would I like to...sure." She agreed softly, curious as much as nervous in regards to the outcome. After all, if the creatures were extinct, how many could say they'd actually seen one. It was too good to pass, and she waited expectantly, wishing she'd brought her wand so that she could show him hers as well. She shrugged it off, there would be time for that later, she hoped.

She flushed dark crimson at his comment, and tried to swat at him, glaring when he grabbed her arm lightly. "Vincent Silver-Moon!" She whispered blithely, embarrassed since they were currently in a very public hallway. Shaking her head, she was still giving him a look when she spoke. "I do like it, but I think I'd like to hex you at the moment as well." The reminder of the rumors currently flying around Hogwarts' corridors did little to improve her train of thought. Cern had not quite done an about face regarding her relationship with Vin, but it seemed as though the two of them had reached an understanding, and Cern's lectures about caution had stopped. She wondered what her boyfriend had told him to earn his gruding respect. "People are going to talk", she murmured, unfortunately for them both. "Nothing we can do about that." Still, some of the things she heard bothered her, though she rarely brought them up to him. She knew from experience he'd assure her they were totally false, but she'd still lost sleep over some of the more detailed accounts dreamt up by those who claimed to be his former (and sometimes current) lovers.

She glanced at the flower and then up at him. "Nothing gold can stay..." She smiled, "Robert Frost, muggle writer." She ran a fingertip over one of the petals. "He was saying that nature has some of the most fragile beauty in existence, but its all temporary." It was a sobering thought, out of place in the charged atmosphere, but no less true. "Still, it really is beautiful, however long it lasts." Words for her to remember too, she expected. The statement was charming, but she still would have poked at him about it had circumstances been different. When they reached the great hall stairs, Keela felt anticipation build. She and the other Prefects had decided on a winter theme, and Keela had even helped decorate, but the idea of seeing the finished product excited her. They made it through the doors, and she inhaled sharply. Everything had turned out beautifully, and she smiled softly. "I was hoping everything would turn out well", she murmured. The dance floor resembled an icy pond, and she eyed it, hoping it only looked that way. Turning to him, she noted that once again, his appearance remained unchanged by the disguising magic in the room. She wondered what it had done to her this year. Grinning up at him, she asked, "Do you still recognize me?"

[Shava]

He nodded at her expression of surprise. "Oh yes I am! It's safe to say my mother rarely does not dare to cross boundaries where others fear to tread. Probably why she's the only person to go full into magical ghost investigation actually..." Lindsey Moon, it was safe to say, was a separate force of nature all her own, easily. Refusing her something or avoiding her was a major art form in it's own, though his father was tops at working around her particular ways. "Mmm, thirteen? Fourteen? Somewhere around there. Ladies underwear is quite tame actually, except for-- Well, never mind." Hers the other night had surprise him not because the underwear itself was so unusual or risky, but that it just didn't fit what he knew about her.

It had definitely reminded him that he didn't have this sewn up. She had some secrets he apparently wasn't privy too yet. "Semi, I would say. Octo doesn't get in much trouble except when his limbs get tangled, silly thing. He's in the explore phase really. With the inanimate it's more that we project personality on them though, more then that they develop them independent." The entire muggle business was going to be fascinating to try on his own this summer he was sure and she could certainly guide him the right way there. It felt more exciting especially, knowing it was the real world and that he had to uphold the muggle blindness to the real power in the world. "Have I mentioned how happy I am you are thinking of going with me this summer? I'm going to learn a ton of stuff, I'm sure!" And he was, not just about her either, but about so many other ways of living!

Her hug back was satisfying. "What can I say? Even though Ash drives me up the wall sometimes and embarrasses the h3ll out of me, I love being a big brother. Family, Keela, it's everything to me." Then she pointed out animals are intelligent judges and he chuckled as she put her head on him; she was certainly intelligent enough to suspect him, he wasn't sure if she had judged his nature yet though, not as far as she was concerned. Checking to make sure no one was nearby, Vincent pointed his wand and quietly said the words of the spell, his face a bit focused as the spell wasn't an easy one. "Expecto patronum..." Out of his wand burst the silver light, rapidly swelling in size into a very large and proud wolf which took up most of the hallway! As it cantered down the hall and then came back, lighting the whole hallway around it, the wolf could be seen with it's head held high and nearly five feet at the shoulder!

Vincent watched it with pride in his face, but a deep satisfaction in his eyes. This was him in a nutshell and he knew it. A being between worlds, a rarity and unique. When she moved to swat him he laughed, ducking away playfully, secretly glad she had gotten the comment immediately. "I couldn't resist! Besides, I thought we could tease each other and get away with it! You know I'm only playing...." There was little he could do about people talking, except show over time he was faithful, was there? What else did she want as a confirmation of his truthfulness? He had answered every question she put to him! Not knowing another answer to give, and beginning to think he had done far more then most people would have done, he dropped the subject for the time being. Nodding at her response, he shrugged. "I don't know what else you want me to say..."

Nodding at her quote, he saw that it had struck her more then he would have thought for a moment. Wondering what had done that he said a bit softer "It's a good thought, says a lot about people too actually." The Ball looked very wintery, as expected, and even though he knew she had been in on some of the preparation, her face becoming more delighted as they progressed inside had him smiling more as well. "Nice job! What all did you help with, Keela?" he could not see that his eyes had turned a very very light green, but he could hardly miss her hair going blond suddenly! "Ha! Seems my hair remains resistant, but yours has gone a blond which I think I saw last Halloween..." He grinned at the memory of how that had all turned out, a good omen for the evening!

[Shava]

Keela listened, trying to understand his mother's motives. It made sense that someone with a dark childhood would want to make up for lost time. However, she couldn't understand quite why she'd take it so far, not without more details at least. It was obvious Vin loved his mum, as he did the rest of his family, and Keela resolved to wait until he was ready to tell her the rest of the story, if that time ever came. "It does sound interesting", she admitted, "investigating ghosts all the time." Personally, Keela preferred dealing with the living, but that was her opinion. "Your dad must have his hands full, trying to keep everything balanced out and you and your siblings out of trouble." Her tone was light, but the thought made her wonder. How did one man go about keeping that many free spirits under one roof from running amuck? "Thirteen???" Keela sounded nonplussed. She'd known he had experience, but really? His mention of women's underwear caught her attention. She glanced at him curiously. "Except for what?"

Keela laughed at the image in spite of herself. "Well, he does have eight. I imagine they can be a little tricky to organize." It intrigued her, the idea of taking something inanimate and giving it some semblence of life. She regarded him thoughtfully. "How many others do you have besides Octo?" She wanted to know. She gave him a mischeivous sort of grin. "Do they all have your personality then?" His mention of the summer had her biting her lip. How would he feel about the internship? She hesitated since it might put a damper on their evening, but she wanted to get it out before she lost her nerve. "It'll be fun", she smiled, trying not to sound nervous. "We have to be back by the end of August though..." She took a deep breath, "I have to report to the Qudditch Weekly offices on September first for my internship." Despite her attempt to sound casual, she waited for his reaction, wondering how he'd feel about the idea of her being in and out of the country during the entire season.

Looking into his eyes, she had no doubt he meant what he said. The only question was, did he really consider her family, and if he did, what did that mean for the future? The idea was staggering, too heavy for her to contemplate at that moment. "I'm certain you're a very good big brother, Vin", she conceded softly. "I can't imagine its easy, keeping up with your siblings." The change in his expression fascinated her. She'd never seen him cast anything but the most basic spell before. The magic that crackled around him called to her own, and she itched again to have her own wand. The tell-tale mist issued from his wand and took shape. Though she'd expected its size, she still took a step back. She gasped, eyes wide as she looked first at the creature and then at him. "Wow..." The word sprang from her lips, soft and semi-reverent. She watched the wolf with the wide-eyed fascination of a child for several moments before she caught herself, closed her mouth, and blushed. "Vin he's...he's incredible."

She was still blushing, but her expression softened. She sighed, "yes I know." She was still getting used to it, to him. While being with him was now nearly as comfortable as breathing, being the girlfriend of a guy whose reputation bordered on infamous wasn't proving easy, and his antics in the halls often encouraged less than friendly reactions from the girls in his audience. Hell hath no fury...She remembered her mother saying when she was younger, and it was definitely true. The frustration in his tone made her feel guilty rather than anxious. She took his hand, placed it on her cheek, and then she pressed her lips to his again. "Be patient with me, love. I've got a lot of steps left to learn for this dance yet." It was true that in theory he'd done everything right, and maybe that was what worried her. He seemed incapable of messing up, and that thought was intimidating, even disconcerting.

She glanced at him, surprised by his depth, before nodding. "You're right", she answered softly. "I think that may have been his point all along." After their arrival, she turned. His hair remained unchanged, but his eyes looked foreign, and she smiled. "The tables mostly, the wandwork on the ceiling and the floor was left to the teachers. There are some pretty intense enchantments floating around." She grinned at him, "it makes sense, last year when it was blonde, the spell turned it red." She ran her fingers through the slightly coarse texture of his hair, revelled in it. "Speaking of dance floors, what do you say we give this one a try?

[Shava]

Lindsey Moon was the type of person who couldn't just go and take up a job like others, oh no, she had to create herself her own field! It suited her erratic and forward personalty and it had certainly made growing up in their home a fascinating place to be for both the living and the passed on. "She loves it, but then again no one can compare to what she is doing so she feels more unique by doing it and that I am a bit jealous of. I think everyone wants to feel special in a way, she's just found a way no one else can compete with..." Talk about hard acts to follow. His mother had taken a hideous curse and wretched home life and turned them into a dream come true for many women who had careers without them even knowing how much she had thrown away to get there!

"Oh don't get me wrong, she and dad split it up a lot, but with only two at home, mom just takes them with her to go do her research. When everyone is at home, she brings in a nanny as well so there are three adults." Her expression of surprise at his age he just nodded at; they really did come from different worlds in a lot of ways. In addition to that, she was female and traditionally expected to remain innocent until marriage (not as likely these days of course) but guys conversely were expected to be experienced. The dichotomy of the whole set-up had always made him shake his head hearing it. "I didn't do anything back then, she just wanted me to get used to the fit of those clothes. I never did, clearly..." She had seen his underwear so she knew the truth of that statement easily enough!

He glanced over at her question, but didn't color. So she learned he found her choice desirable, so what? "What you had on." He didn't have to say when of course. "I would have pegged you for something much more conservative, more coverage. You surprised me." 'And I'm pretty sure you can keep surprising me there as much as you want to' he thought quietly, though she may have heard some of that in his voice. He didn't actually object to surprises like that when they were good ones naturally! Having the discussion turn to Octo was an interesting turn and not one he had though she would be interested in! "One other small one, more of an experiment. Ever since I first saw Octo in a fair I've wanted him alive. He's just so cool looking! And yeah, right now he's more a creation then personality, but he's getting there. Helpful too."

At her surprise announcement, he turned his eyes on her through the mask, eyebrow up behind it. She hadn't ever mentioned she was applying to any internships! "Uh, okay... You didn't tell me you were applying to any, how come? Why the big secret?" Damn it, she had thrown a wrench in the works, restricting their time together right off the bat! Why? "What will you be doing? Hey--- Wait a minute, were you competing against other people to get this?" So she had been competing and hadn't asked him for encouragement either? It wasn't till after he showed her his patronus that it really sank in. Okay, now he felt hurt. And why he wasn't exactly sure, but her mistrust of him was clearly far deeper then he had imagined. Mentally he could imagine the Silver Ring being replaced back into his trunk for the immediate future, seeing he was going to need more time before he was sure again about her.

He remained silent, thinking and knowing she was waiting for his reply yet he wasn't going to rush this.

When she kissed him and spoke about patience, he kissed her back, but distracted. "Keela, when were you going to tell me? Did you think I wouldn't encourage you to follow your dreams? I will, but I can't help thinking about the fact you concealed this from me." he swallowed once, deliberately waiting a moment before he continued. He deliberately ignored the dance suggestion as if she was trying to change the subject, though he was sure that was not it. "I'm sure your reasons sound good to you, but let me point out something to you, Moza," and he met her eyes, his seriousness very evident. He didn't want to seem threatening or angry, but the hurt might have shown through some where he could not have helped it. The same part of him that had separated his long term plans from the part of him which could fall in love couldn't stop that emotional side from feeling other things as well. Pulling her to one side where there were chairs he motioned for her to sit down, holding her hands as he sat as well.

"Listen. Keela, I love you. That's not a lie. I want to be there for you and do everything I can to help you soar on your own as well. But I'm looking for a partner. I told you to ask me anything and I would be honest with you, no matter the subject. I meant that." He caught her eyes again and the expression in them spoke of frowning in intent as if seeing something he didn't like the looks of. "Surprises are one thing, forgetting to tell me something another. Those are easily forgiven, but this sounds much bigger then that. It makes it sound like you consider me nothing more then a fling before you escape to another life." That bothered him, but more so the fact it said she didn't really consider this possible, that she had written him off much more extensively then he would have thought and he didn't like to think what this sounded like.

"I've extended my trust. For awhile now whether you accept it or not, but I need to know you trust me back. If there is no trust between us, this isn't going to last." Their relationship had always skirted the edge of whether she could trust him or not, but he had never questioned her the reverse; in doing so he hoped to put the point to rest between them by questioning her on this point she had apparently kept from him, but in truth if he found himself unable to trust her he didn't know how this relationship could manage.

[Shava]

Keela realized that surprisingly, she could relate to Vincent's mother in this way. After all, that's what she'd always wanted for herself, to create her own path in the world. She wondered at how difficult it must have been for the woman to create her own field of study based on her research alone. Her respect for the woman took root. "That's really cool though. Were there others after your mother? I mean, after she forged a path for them to follow?" It did seem like an interesting field of study if you got over the part about dealing with souls in transition all the time. Keela preferred living things, things that could be captured from behind a camera lens. Could she make sacrifices for her passions? She glanced up at Vin covertly. Would she be willing to?

"Makes sense", Keela acknowledged. "Still seems chaotic though, all those kids and ghosts and random animals running around." His parents must have been very strong people to live with it day in and day out. It made her wonder how the holidays with him would be. Three adults versus...how many kids again? Keela had trouble keeping up with all of his relatives. "So I guess Prof--I mean your dad goes home over school holidays too then?" She knew some professors did and some didn't. It seemed odd to think about her teachers having lives outside of Hogwarts. She wondered how it must have been for Vin, having to separate father from professor during the year. Keela laughed, somewhat relieved. Picturing a thirteen year old Vin exploring his sexuality was more than she was capable of processing. All she managed was "thank Merlin for that." She wasn't sure how she'd have handled it if he had taken to that sort of thing. More intimidated, she decided immediately, definitely more intimidated.

She flushed when he mentioned her underwear. The truth was that she'd always had a thing about wearing cute underwear, sort of like having her own secret. She got a kick out of it from time to time. She hadn't accounted for it actually coming in handy one of these days. Still, she was pleased to have surprised him. Grinning up at him, she retorted: "You shouldn't ever assume anyone can be pegged, love." It was true, people were always full of surprises, that was why Keela considered stereotypes so dangerous in the first place. There were exceptions to every rule. "Muggle fair?" she questioned. Trying to picture him anywhere so classically muggle was difficult even for her imagination. "How did you ever manage to go without magic that long?" Her tone was teasing, her eyes alight with amusement. She nodded when he mentioned Octo's usefulness. "I had heard you use him for Quidditch practices, one of my beaters mentioned it."

Uh oh... She knew that look, she didn't get it often, but she knew it. Keela swallowed hard. "I didn't tell anyone Vin. I didn't want anyone to know in case I didn't get it." She shrugged, "I only just told Cern that morning I had to sneak back into the commonroom because he mentioned my coming around next year and I had to tell him I might not be around as much." She bit her lip, gazing up at him anxiously. "I only just found out I got it, you're the first person I've told." And what I let down that was turning out to be. "I wasn't keeping a secret exactly..well, I was, but it's not like that." She hadn't expected him to be irritated with her, that rankled a bit. She had worked hard for that internship, she deserved to enjoy her success, didn't she? "Y-yes, they only give out one internship per department per year. I got the photography internship", she admitted, proud in spite of the situation. "I don't know how many applied, but I assume it was several." He looked hurt, shocking her. She titled her head, trying to gauge his expression.

The silence didn't bode well, and she was torn between bewildernment, irritation, and anxiousness. This was hardly the place to have their first fight, not only wasn't it proper, but the rumors would go flying. He kissed her back, but seemed distracted, and she flinched as she pulled back. It was the first time something like this had happened and she felt rejected. When he did speak, it wasn't any better. Keela slanted a look at him. "I didn't tell anyone!" Her voice was soft, but her tone rang with her growing irritation. In spite of her fears of making him angry, she was beginning to get irritated herself. "I didn't want to tell anyone and then have to tell them I didn't get it, the odds were..." Astronimical would have been an overstatement. "The odds weren't in my favor." The endearment didn't sound like one when he said it like that, and the tone made her blanch slightly. Damn right they sounded good to me She thought petulantly.

It was one of the few times he'd actually said the words, but Keela didn't have the time or the inclination to enjoy the moment. His words would have warmed her under different circumstances, but the look that followed peaked her emotions. The temper and stubborness she'd inherited from her mother came shining through in that moment. "I love you too, but you're being a right git right now you know." She had raised her voice, but couldn't find enough self control to care among her already rolling emotions. "I worked hard for that internship, I didn't want to tell anyone until I knew whether I'd gotten it or not. I didn't want anyone to be disappointed in me!" Her eyes were flashing, with the emotions she tried desperately to keep under wraps during this season. "Here's something for you to consider Vincent", she was glaring at him now, insulted, angry, and above all she was hurt. "If I considered you a fling for the summer I wouldn't have bloody slept you with you!" Realizing how loudly she'd made that delcaration, she flushed and lowered her voice.

Her eyes turned soft and sad as she met his gaze. "Maybe you're right..."

[Shava]

Unaware of the looming disaster, Vincent Frowned slightly, thinking about it. "Not really, I think, I don't think anyone is following her at the moment, maybe in another century or so. She has the top set of books on the subject and three more in process. It's going to be hard for many to follow in that kind of field, no matter what gender." Her mention of chaos was about right though; he had noticed some families had it worse then others indeed! Still, he smiled at the thought. "Chos is mixed I think, but we seem to thrive on it sometimes. When mom thinks it's too much she throws the kids all outside to play. We were often happy to get away from adult talk anyway. Now I find myself wondering what I have missed all these years..."

Glancing at her he nodded, his father always had in the past though he was staying a bit later this year. "There or Egypt, sometimes it's much better weather there for the winter." Theunderwear, however, was a different point. He might have gotten a slight flush on his upper cheek bones at his next words. "I know in theory you shouldn't, but I think everyone makes logical conclusions based on what they know of someone all the time. It's not like I was betting or anything, but seeing those just took me aback..." And had made him quite intrigued and excited both, though he didn't feel he needed to say that so much. "I have to admit I quite liked them. Maybe I'll ask my mom the name of that shop again so I can surprise you sometime..." He winked at her, naughtiness in his eyes. The muggle fair; gosh that place was so cool!

"It was a steampunk fair, like old style and all that. I just wore some old stuff and I fit right in. Crazy some of the things they managed in the old days, but so very cool looking... I mostly spent the time listening to them talk and being really confused until I found some motorcycle guys and then I started asking questions." And what an afternoon that had been, filled with knowledge and what worked, what didn't, styles and engineering stuff. Honestly, it had been one of his favorite encounters with muggles as they were all pretending to be in that world and he was too! From there though the conversation went haywire and he wasn't sure how to fix it. He, Vincent T Silver-Moon, had lost control of something. Wasn't that bad timing? His mind whirled as he tried to think of what to say to fix things and came up blank.

Vincent, despite his parent's attempts at direction, had always chosen for himself. From classes to concentrations, to which toys to take out of the toy box to even what name he would like to answer to. And while a lot of his father's old code of honor stuck with him and his mother's strong emotions invested themselves in him, he still was a very different child then his parents. Keeping his emotions inside didn't deny they were there, just tucked them away out of sight mostly. Right now he was feeling the emotional side of himself in detail. He didn't like it nor the loss of control it said about him, but it happened anyway. Vin hated showing it to others! Was this part of being in love? The pain of hearing someone else suffering and not letting you help or be there? Or was it because he was sensing how being partners meant more about the other then yourself?

Oh he really was not liking this at all.

"Keela, I don't think you understand me. I think it's awesome you got it and would have loved the whole tension bit over waiting and wondering, crossing fingers for you, and shouting with success when you got it. But even when all you do is date, people let each other know about possibilities in advance. No one likes getting smacked with sudden "Oh by the way, my life is completely changing just thought I'd let you know" stuff! I know when I convinced you to finally go out with me, if anything had shown up that might change the way my life was heading I would have cared enough to tell you in advance, just in case!" Her return irritation began to edge his up a bit too and he forced himself to stop and breath for a moment, let go of the tension. Couldn't she see how big this could be? It was the start of her career! Didn't she think he deserved to be let in on the process? Apparently not. "Hell, Keela! I would have been there every step of the way for you, even if you hadn't gotten it, it's part of your life! I have been telling you how much I wanted to be part of that for weeks..."

He felt odd, being denied something so big for her. Being part of someone's life involved ups and downs, roller coaster ride of life and all that! "I understand you were worried about it and all that, anyone would be! I'm not even mad about you being off on the first chance at a career and I can't go with you, it's because partners are there for each other in everything, you see? Like two people against the odds, helping each other through the tough and good times." And then she struck him with a blow to the heart, one which nearly staggered him, made the logical side of his mind step in and take control again. Because it was a big fear in her mind she had not ever admitted before and even emotional, he saw she was showing herself in depth. " I didn't want anyone to be disappointed in me!" His eyes wide he looked at her in disbelief, the words falling off his tongue without conscious thought, extremely soft, but loud to their ears in this close moment. "How could I be disappointed in you?"

The look in his eyes was one suffering and not knowing why or how to stop it.

Vincent was not and never had been one in touch with his inner softer side. Sure, he could play it well and had a touch of that sometimes, but this emotional stuff was getting him worse then most things he had dealt with in the past. In this he was rather lost, confused, even as he tried to remain steady and strong to his beliefs, his thoughts. He knew from his parents that even though they had different sides and wildly different beliefs some days (Hurricane Lindsey was a common nickname in their house) that because they trusted each other, they pulled through a lot of stuff working together. He knew trust was the bottom line, had to be. So hearing those words from her made his heart drop into his socks.

[Shava]

Knowing the moment was coming when she'd have to tell him about the internship, and being unsure how he'd feel about it. Keela was anxious. Still, admiration for his mother surfaced, distracting her briefly. That was what Keela wanted to do, create a niche for herself in the world. Maybe the two could find common ground after all. She nodded at Vin, still thinking. "Sounds like it", she admitted. "Still, someone's bound to at least try, eventually." Keela grinned, "I know what you mean, but we always got sent to do something with the animals and the like." She shrugged, "if we got into too much mischief, mum sent us to deal with the llamas, stubborn animals they are." She grimaced, remembering. "Dad usually came to our rescue eventually though." She watched his thoughtful expression. "It does make one wonder doesn't it? But then, if my parents talk about what we talk about I really want nothing to do with those conversations..." She made a sour face, "ever."

"I imagine so", she agreed. It might be nice to visit somewhere warm and dry during the holidays. Irish winters were often cold, windy, and wet. Even with warming charms, taking care of the animals was a miserable job this time of year. The way his face flushed intrigued her, and she waited patiently for an explanation. She didn't argue his point about knowing people, she more or less agreed with that much. She shot him a wicked grin, "serves you right for making assumptions then", she told him cheekily. Her turn to flush, and she obliged spectacularly. The heat bloomed in her cheeks and crept up her neck. The glint in his eyes sent the warmth spiralling down. "I do love surprises", she murmured softly, offering her own mischievous smile.

There was that word again, she really was going to have to do more research. It seemed like the steampunk concept played a big role in his interests, and as such she needed to understand it better. She wondered if the library had anything. She certainly couldn't owl home for it. She resisted the urge to shake her head at him, back to bikes then. Ah well, at least she was more familiar with those. "I bet you enjoyed that", she teased softly. "What sort of questions did you ask?" She didn't have a terrible amount of experience with muggle things despite her upbringing. Most of the things in and around her home were carerfully magically modified to be more convenient. Though she was fascinated by the concept of anyone living without magic, she couldn't imagine it long-term.

Then it hit, the moment she'd been dreading, and ironically he seemed more bothered by the fact she hadn't shared than he was by the internship itself. Even as she tried to defend her position, she felt bad. She tried to put herself in his place, and realized she'd have probably been angry too. Still, his tone, and the look on his face made her feel defensive. Things might have been going even worse than she'd imagined they might. She listened, emotions warring between anger, guilt, and anxiety in her eyes, she couldn't settle on one, and all were reflected clearly. She wondered if he was angry enough to break things off with her, it would certainly make the internship easier on her, and make his life easier here. Still, the pain in her chest was undeniable at the thought, surely he wouldn't...

Damn right I don't understand you, she thought, irritated. Her eyes flashed, but she resisted the urge to speak, barely. The way he put it, his point made sense, but the fact didn't help her own irritation. It may have even made things worse. He was raising his voice, she'd never heard him do that before, it boded ill tidings for what came ahead. She could tell her reactions were irritating him further, but her own frustration was peaked, matching him. Without a miracle this was going to end badly, very badly. "I didn't think it mattered short-term!" She insisted, "You're going to be here next year anyway, I have the summer off to do whatever I want, and by the time you graduate things could be totally different!" Her eyes widened, and she lowered her voice. "I could move to a different department, get another job entirely, we could...well...things could...not work out." Now that the words were out, she couldn't recall them, though she wanted to. She was still angry, but she looked sad too. "I wasn't thinking about the future, Vin. I'm not very good at planning for it."

He wanted to be a part of her life, she knew that; but she was only beginning to realize how much that entailed. How much of herself was she willing to surrender? She wasn't sure now. His reaction had startled her, now it worried her. Honesty was one thing, full-disclosure was another. Partners, like his parents, like hers. It was daunting. "You're right", the words hurt, and she nearly choked on them. "I should have told you." It came down to asking herself: did she trust him or not? Was she willing to risk surrendering herself to their relationship or not? Did she want to be with him or not? She met his eyes, bit her lip, glanced past him and took a deep breath. His voice, his words, brought her up short. "All I've ever wanted to do was take pictures", she admitted. "Most people wait years to figure out what they want to do. I've known since I picked up a camera." She looked up at him, "I didn't tell you because if I didn't get it, and then had to tell someone else, it would be like having to tell them I wasn't good enough. How could you not be disappointed? I would've been."

She felt heavy all the sudden. The emotions had cooled, and sat solid on her shoulders. It was sometimes a struggle during the fall and winter months to pull herself out of a funk when she found her way there. She warred with it, hoping the night hadn't been ruined before it could begin.